The Naked Scientists Podcast

What should we make of claims that China is building super weapons to hack and hijack US satellites? Also, the new app to help midwives detect health conditions in newborns, and we hear from the couple who have discovered one of the world's most important fossil deposits, almost on our own doorstep! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How repeated bumps to the head in sport can add up to dementia later in life... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The doctor and broadcaster, Chris van Tulleken, on why ultra-processed food is making us fat and ill, the team that think they're close to cracking the male contraceptive pill, and the WHO's drive to get more people vaccinated. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

With 14 million new cases of diabetes each year being attributed to poor diet and half the worlds' population estimated to be overweight or obese by 2035, it's no wonder the UK's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, claims the situation around these conditions presents one of 'the biggest future health challenges we face.' So why is it happening and what can be done to reverse these worrying trends? We find out what dieting does to your metabolism, and whether the effectivness of weight loss drugs in the short term might make them a part of the solution... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news this week, Elon Musk's Starship experiences a 'rapid unscheduled disassembly', there's progress in developing a universal flu vaccine, and the sounds which might help your little one to fall asleep... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Black holes are one of the most extreme things in the universe. Their gravitational pull is so strong, they can bend light and even time. So were you to find one and fall into it...what would happen? Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The world crosses the threshold of 1 terawatt of energy produced from solar means, the parting gift left behind by birds meeting an unfortunate demise, and looking for exoplanets that have magnetic fields Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this bonus edition, climate psychologist Patrick Kennedy-Williams introduces us to the concept of eco-anxiety, the very real phenomenon leaving people across the UK feeling stressed about the future and the frightening implications of climate change. In partnership with E.ON NEXT - the energy provider on a mission to tackle eco-anxiety - we discuss when eco-anxiety first began to make its presence felt, who is most affected and why, and what we can all do to help both ourselves and the environment... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This is a special, bonus episode brought to you in partnership with E.ON Next. If you've just been listening to our conversation with climate psychologist Patrick Kennedy-Williams, you'll know that they've created an audio toolkit for when eco-anxiety gets the better of you. We have part of it - a mindfulness meditation to boost well-being - for you here. For more of these resources search powerupforchange, or visit eonnext.com/eco-anxiety Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In the news, tech experts call for AI slowdown, monkeys fail to grasp magic tricks which require opposable thumbs to pull off, and why the WHO wants China to release information on the origin of Covid. Plus, according to one study, as many as 44 percent of the population suffer from chronic pain. The difficulty is, we experience pain in many different ways, making it notoriously hard to find treatments. We'll look into the possible causes of long term pain, and what scientists are doing to find solutions... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists